Fluid flow control system



Aug. 14, 1962 J. RUDELICK 3,049,239

FLUID 110w CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed March 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1u-mlrmum kmmmmulnmlmmmm i x 1; g

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FLUID FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM Original Filed March 1'7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet2 SERVICE DRNN jmdmfw 33 gal-m Hgdelwk :ZWW

United States Patent 3,949,239 FLUID FLQW CUNTRQL SYSTEM John Rudelick,Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Brunei: Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., acorporation of Wisconsin Original application Mar. 17, 1958, Ser. No.722,093, now

Patent No. 2,989,988, dated .iune 27, 1961. Divided and this applicationMar. 4, 1960, Ser. No. 12,795

1 Claim. (Cl. 210-275) This invention relates to fluid flow controlvalves, and like my copending application Serial No. 722,093 filed March17, 1958, now Patent Number 2,989,988 of which this application is adivision, has more particular reference to control valves of a typesuited especially, though not necessarily exclusively, for use withwater conditioning and treating apparatus such as water softeners.

As is well known water softeners comprise a tank containing a baseexchange material which must be regenerated from time to time topreserve its efiicacy. For that purpose, a water softener is usuallyprovided with control valve means by which raw or unsoftened water isnormally routed through the softener tank and thereafter made availableto the desired service lines. While some of these control valves aredesigned to function entirely automatically, this invention concerns aless expensive type of control valve which, for example, is ideallysuited for use with softeners of the salt-in-head type, and whichfeatures simplicity of construction and an arrangement of spoolcontrolled ports such as to adapt the valve to either manual operation,or semi-automatic operation in the manner described and claimed in myaforesaid copending application Serial No. 722,093.

A salt-in-head type water softener is one in which the salt employed toeflect regeneration is charged directly into the top of the softenertank. For this purpose, salt-in-head softeners are always provided witha removable top cover and, of course, the softener tank must be shut offfrom the raw water supply and soft water service lines whenever thecover is to be removed to enable salt to be charged into the softener.

The primary purpose of this invention resides in the provision of animproved fluid flow control valve for Water softeners of the characterdescribed, and which valve features a body with a series of passages andports arranged in such away that a spool slidable axially in the bodybetween four operating positions eflfects normal service operation ofthe softener in one extreme position of the spool, closes off thesoftener from service and supply lines in the other extreme or add saltposition of the spool, and respectively effects brining and backwashingin two intermediate positions during stepwise return of the spool to itsservice position.

More specifically, it is a purpose of this invention to provide acontrol valve for water softeners and the like wherein three operatingpositions of the spool are spaced different distances in one directionfrom a service position of the spool and each is defined by means whichholds the spool against axial return movement toward its serviceposition but which is releasable as a consequence of rotation of a partconnected with the spool through a predetermined angle.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claim, it beingunderstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaim.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one complete example of thephysical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the bestmode so far devised for the ice practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the control valve of thisinvention, parts thereof being broken away and shown in longitudinalsection;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the control valve inanother position; and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear portion of thevalve.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in whichlike reference characters have been applied to like parts throughout theseveral views, the numeral 5 generally designates the body of thecontrol valve of this invention. The body is of hollow construction andformed to provide an elongated cylindrical chamber 6 opening to thefront and rear ends of the body. Detachable front and rear covers 7 and8, respectively, are provided to close the opposite ends of the chamber6 and these covers have cenrtal holes providing coaxial bearings 9concentric to the chamber 6 to end Wise slidably receive an operatingstem 10. The stem projects entirely through the covers 7 and 8 to theexterior of the body at each end thereof, and it has a knob or dial 11fixed to its forward extremity.

The endwise abutting hubs 12 of a number of annular coaxial inserts orglands 13 having their peripheries in. sealing engagement with the wallof chamber 6 define a bore 15 in which a spool type control plunger 16is endwise slidably received. The spool or control plunger 16 has a bore17 extending lengthwise therethrough to rotatably receive the operatingstem 10. The stem, however, is connected to the spool to move back andforth therewith but is free to rotate relative to the spool and to thevalve body.

This connection between the spool and the operating stem comprises aC-washer l9 sprung into a circumferential groove 20 in the stem adjacentto the front end of the spool, where it is cooperable with the front ofthe spool to translate rearward endwise motion of the stern intocorresponding rearward motion of the spool in its bore. A coiledcompression spring 21 encircling the rear portion of the stem andconfined between the rear cover 8 and the rear end of the spool at alltimes urges the spool toward engagement with the C-washer stop 19 on theopposite end portion of the stem. Consequently, the engagement of theC-washer 19 on the front portion of the stem with the adjacent front endof the spool constrains the spool to slide rearwardly with the stem uponmanual actuation thereof, while the compression spring 21 acting uponthe rear of the spool and holding its front end engaged with theabutment 19 assures forward endwise motion of the spool and stem inunison.

At its rear, the body is provided with an inlet 23 for water to besoftened, and this inlet is part of a manifold (not shown) extendingalong the far side of the body and having branches opening to thechamber 6 through front and rear ports 24 and 25, respectively, adjacentto the ends of the bore -15.

The rim portions of the annular inserts or glands 13 are held spacedapart substantially uniform distances along the wall of chamber 6 withwhich they have sealing engagement, by means of the endwise abuttingimbs 12 on the inserts. Moreover, the group of inserts is located andfirmly held at a. predetermined position intermediate the ends of thechamber 6, by means of inwardly projecting abutments 27 on the frontcover 7 which define the forward position of the group of inserts, and arelatively strong compression spring 25 confined between the rear cover8 and the rearmost insert 13. Consequently, the inserts or glands in thepresent case cooperate with the wall of the chamber 6 to define fouraxially spaced annular chambers A, B, C and D reading from front to rear3 of the body. A series of circumferentially equispaced notches throughthe hubs of the inserts provide ports P1 in radial communication withthe chamber A, P2 in communication with the chamber B, P3 incommunication with the chamber C, and P4 in communication with thechamber D.

The valve body 5 is provided with four control passages, namely aservice passage 30, a first tank passage 31, a second tank passage 32,and a drain passage 33. The service passage 30 leads to the annularchamber A, and its outer end is adapted to have a service line connectedthereto. The first tank passage 31 leads to the annular chamber D, andits outer end may be connected by a pipe with the upper portion of awater softener tank. The second tank passage 32 leads to the annularchamber B, and its outer end may be connected by a pipe with the bottomportion of a water softener tank. The drain passage 33 leads to theannular chamber C and its outer end is adapted to be connected with adrain line. In addition, the drain passage 33 has a flow meteringrestriction 38 therein to limit the rate of flow of waste fluid from thesoftener tank to the drain line.

The hub of the foremost insert or gland 13 has a slightly enlarged bore39, and it has an inturned annular flange on its front end providing anannular valve seat 40 which encircles the operating stem and facesrearwardly to be engageable by the front end of the spool 16 to closeoff communication between the forward inlet port 24 and the front end ofthe bore 15. If desired, a washer of rubber or other elastic materialmay be confined between the stop 19 on the stem and the front end of thecontrol spool 16 to provide a sealing disc 41 to engage the seat 40 andassure against leakage of water rearwardly past the seat when thecontrol plunger or spool 16 is in its normal position seen in solidlines in FIGURE 1. Consequently, the engagement of the seat 40 by thefront of the spool defines the normal position of the spool, towardwhich it is yieldingly urged by the spring 21. V

The control plunger has three lands or circumferential enlargementsthereon, a front land 43, a rear land 44, and an intermediate land 45,somewhat closer to the rear land than to the front land. Each of theselands has a circumferential groove therein to retain an O-r-ing seal 46,and these seals fit snugly but slidably inside the hubs of all of theinserts 13 except that of the foremost insert having the larger bore 39.

In its normal or soft water position seen in solid lines in FIGURE 1,the lands of the control plunger or spool 16 are so located that therearmost land 44 is positioned intermediate the ports P3 and P4, theintermediate land 45 is positioned intermediate the ports P2 and P3 andthe foremost land 43 is forwardly of the ports P1. Conseguently, theservice passage 3 is closed off from the inlet port 24 at the front ofthe valve body but is communicated with the tank passage 32 throughports P1 and P2. At this time also the drain pass-age 33 is closed bythe lands 44 and 45 but the tank passage 31 is in communication With therear inlet port 25 through the ports P4.

When the control valve of this invention is connected with asalt-in-head type water softener with the passage 31 communicating withthe top of the tank and the passage 32 with the bottom of the tank,water to be softened enters the valve body through the rear inlet port25 and flows into the hub of the axially rearmost gland 13 and out ofits ports P4 into the chamber D and tank passage 31 from whence it mayflow downwardly through the conditioner tank to be softened therein. Thesoftened water issues from the bottom of the tank and is returned to thechamber B of the valve body through tank passage 32, and from chamber Bit flows radially inwardly through ports P2 and then forwardly in thebore along the space between the lands 43 and 45 to issue from the portsP1 from whence it enters the chamber A and is free to flow into theservice passage 30 whenever a service tap is opened.

It is a feature of the control valve of this invention that raw orunsoftened Water is made available to the service passage 39 wheneverthe control plunger or spool 16 is shifted out of its soft Waterposition shown in solid lines in FIGURE 1, so that water from the sourcemay be drawn at any time during regeneration. This feature results fromthe fact that the service passage 30 is communicated with the frontinlet port 24 through the valve seat 40 and the enlarged bore 39 in thehub of the foremost gland 13 as soon as the spool 16 is moved away fromits normal position.

When the water softener with which the control valve of this inventionis used requires regeneration, the control spool 16 must be shiftedaxially rearwardly to a defined rearmost position shown in broken linesin FIGURE 1. This is effected manually by the operator of the valvethrough the exertion of a rearward force on the control knob 11.

In the rearmost position of the spool 16, the front land 43 thereof isinterposed between the ports P1 and P2, the intermediate land 45 is at alocation just rearwardly of the ports P4 but between them and the mouthof a restricted metering passage 47 which leads through the rear portionof the hub of the rearmost gland 13 to the chamber D, and the rearmostland 44 is positioned just inside the rear end of the bore, behind themouth of the metering passage 47.

This position of the valve may be termed a shut-off position at whichthe water softener tank is closed off from the water source and theservice lines, although the service passage 30 is in open communicationwith the front inlet port 24 through the ports P1 and the now open valveseat 40 to enable hard water to be drawn from any of the service tapswhen desired. In the shutoff position of the spool described, thesoftener tank is vented by the communication of both tank passages 31and 32 with the drain passage 33, and the operator may safely remove thetop cover of a salt-in-head type water softening tank (not shown) andadd the proper quantity of salt thereto. When salt has been charged intothe top of the tank the operator may then secure the cover of the tankin position and thereafter manually actuate the valve to initiateregeneration.

Such regeneration is commenced when the control spool 16 is shiftedforwardly to a defined position shown. in solid lines in FIGURE 2, withits front land 43 located just rearwardly of the service ports P1, theintermediate land 45 located intermediate the ports P3 and P4, and therearmost land 44 interposed between the ports P4 and the mouth of therestricted metering passage 47. The metering passage 47, which is spacedrearwardly from the ports P4 and near the rear end of the hub of therearmost gland or insert 13, serves as an alternate port for the tankpassage 31. It now communicates the tank passage 31 with the open rearportion of the bore 15 and hence with the rear inlet port 25 so thatunsoftened water flows into the tank passage 3-1 for delivery to the topof the softener tank, to wash over the salt charged thereinto. Theresulting brine flows downwardly through the water softening tank incontact with the base exchange material therein and issues from thebottom of the tank for return to the chamber B in the valve body throughthe tank passage 32 thereof. Inasmuch as ports P2 and P3 are now incommunication with one another, the effluent is directed into the drainpassage 33 for flow to a suitable drain through the metering orifice 38in the drain passage. Note that hard or unsoftened water is madeavailable to service in this position of the control spool 16, by reasonof the fact that the service passage 30 is in communication with thefront inlet port 24 through the annular valve seat 40 and the port P1.

The valve is kept in the position just described for a period of timelong enough to dissolve all of the salt in the top of the tank, and ispreferably thereafter maintained in said position for an additionalperiod during which brine is rinsed out of the mineral bed in the mostefficacious manner, that is, by downfiow of fresh water through thesoftener tank. These brining and rinsing operations of course take placeat a slow rate due to the metering effect of the restricted passage 47.

After all of the salt has been converted into brine and flushed throughthe Water softener tank, and the brine has been substantially completelyrinsed out of the mineral bed, the control spool 16 may be movedforwardly to a defined backwash position seen in broken lines in FIG-URE 2, to effect more rapid but reverse flow of fresh water through theconditioner tank for backwashing. In the backwash position of the spool,its lands provide communication between the tank ports P3 and P4, andalso communicate ports P2 with the front inlet port 24 around the frontland 43 and through the still open valve seat 40. As a result, freshhard water entering the front inlet port 24 flows through the valve seat40, around the land 43, and out of ports P2 into the tank passage 32leading to the bottom of the Water softener tank. The fresh hard waterthus introduced into the bottom of the softener tank flows upwardlythrough the base exchange material therein to forcefully flush anysediment or foreign matter out or" the base exchange material. Thebackwash effiuent issues from the top of the tank and is returned to thevalve through its passage 31, from whence it flows to drain through thenow communicating ports P3 and P4 and the drain passage 33. The meteringorifice 38 in the drain passage, however, prevents flow of backwashwater through the water softener tank at too rapid a rate.

After backwashing in this manner for a suitable period of time,regeneration may be terminated by shifting the control spool 16forwardly to its normal or soft water position shown in solid lines inFIGURE 1, where it re mains until the next time the water softener mustbe regenerated. Since the valve seat 40 is now reclosed by the spool,only softened water can flow to the service passage 30.

According to this invention, the valve body is provided with a stopmember 53 which cooperates with a radial arm or cam follower 54' on therear extremity of the forwardly biased operating stem to define theshut-off, brining and backwash positions of the spool 16.

In the normal or soft water position of the spool and its operating stemseen in FIGURE 1, the operating stem occupies a position of rotation atwhich the radial arm 54 on its rear extremity projects verticallyupwardly.

The stop member 53 has an annular camlike shape, and it is formedintegral with the rear cover 8 of the valve body. It is coaxial with andsurrounds the projecting rear of the operating stem, and it has an axiallength substand tially corresponding to the distance the spool travelsbetween its normal or soft water position shown in solid lines in FIGURE1 and its rearmost or add salt position shown in broken lines in FIGURE1.

The upper side of the stop member has an axially elongated rearwardlyopening notch 72 cut therein to receive the radially projecting arm 54on the rear of the stem. The arm 54, of course, is normally held by thereturn spring 21 in a position contiguous to the bottom 73 of the notch,and while it may engage directly with the bottom of the notch in thenormal or soft water position of the spool, a slight amount of clearancemay be provided to assure closing engagement between the disc on theforward end of the spool and the annular valve seat 40 on the foremostinsert or gland 13.

The arm 54, however, is narrower than the arcuate dimension of the notch72 so as to allow a degree of clockwise rotation of the stem relative tothe valve body before the arm is brought up against the stop 75 providedby one edge of the notch. The bottom 73 of the notch has a slightcamlike inclination along which the arm rides upon initial clockwiserotation of the operating stem out of its normal position, to cause thestem to be cammed rearwardly a distance which is suflicient to effect aslight amount of rearward shifting of the spool 16 in its bore when theoperator initially rotates the control knob 11 in the clockwisedirection. This is an important feature of the control valve of thisinvention inasmuch as it enables the spool to be freed for axial slidingmotion in its bore in the event of seizure of its O-rings 46 against thewall of the bore as a consequence of the spool remaining in its softwater or normal position for long periods of time.

As seen best in FIGURE 3, the edge of the notch in the stop membertoward which the arm 54 on the operating stern moves upon clockwiserotation of the stern extends axially out to the rear of the stop memberand defines one end of an arcuate abutment 76 atthe extremity thereof.The abutment 76 has a rearwardly facing surface which is normal to thestem axis, and its arcuate length corresponds to a predeterminedfraction of a cycle of rotation of the stem.

The abutment 76 is engageable by the arm 54 on the operating stem whenthe latter has been shifted rearwardly and rotated sufficiently in aclockwise direction from its position seen in FIGURE 3, to define theshutofi or add salt position of the spool 16. The abutment thus holdsthe spool in the add salt position against the tendency of the returnspring 21 to impart forward motion to the spool, but releases the stemfor spring propelled forward motion of the spool when the stem has beenrotated clockwise beyond said predetermined frac tion of a cycle.

When the operator of the control valve desires to effect regeneration ofthe water softener governed by the valve, he first rotates the operatingstem 10 by its control knob 11, clockwise out of its normal positionidentified by registry of a large arrow 78 on the skirt of the knob witha marker on a panel 84) behind the knob and fixed with respect to thevalve body, until the radial arm 54 on the operating stem engages theedge 75 of the notch in the stop member 53. This, of course, frees thespool 16 for axial sliding motion in its bore in the manner describedpreviously, and the operator then pushes the operating stem rearwardlythe extent necessary to carry the radial arm 54 out to the extremity ofthe stop member and rotates the operating stem the slight amountnecessary to hook its radial arm over the abutment 76 on the stopmember. The add salt position of the valve which is defined by theengagement of the arm 54- with the abutment 76, is indicated to theoperator when an add salt arrow 82 on the control knob registers withthe marker on the panel.

As described hereinbefore, the spool 16 shuts ofl all of the waterconnections to the softener tank when it occupies its add salt positionseen in broken lines in FIGURE 1, but makes hard water available to theservicegnes connecting with the service passage 30 in the valve ody.

During the time the operating stem is thus held in its add saltposition, the operator may remove the cover from the top of the softenertank and charge the necessary quantity of salt thereinto.

After the operator has again secured the cover in place on the top ofthe tank, the first actual regenerating step, namely brining, may becommenced. This is effected by movement of the stem and spool 16 of thevalve to its position seen in solid lines in FIGURE 2, but it firstentails manual rotation of the operating stem in a clockwise directionto a regenerate position, at which the radial arm 54 on the operatingstem rides off of the end of the abutment 76 and frees the stem and thespool connected therewith for forward motion to the next regeneratingposition of the spool defined by the engagement of the radial arm 54with a second arcuate abut- 7 ment 87 on the stop member. The abutment87 is angularly adjacent to the abutment 76 but spaced axially forwardlytherefrom, in the direction of spring propelled motion of the spool 16.

The spool, after release of the arm 54 from abutment 76, is thus shiftedthe first step toward its normal or soft water position, by the returnspring 21, and a metered flow of unsoftened water is thereby cause to berouted through the alternate port 47 of the control valve to the top ofthe softener tank to mix with the salt charged thereinto and to wash theresulting brine downwardly through the tank, and, after all of thedissolved salt has flowed down through the tank, to rinse brine out ofthe mineral bed. The effiuent is returned to the control valve and isrouted thereby to the drain passage. The second arcuate abutment 87, ofcourse, not only defines the brining position of the spool butreleasably holds the spool against return toward its normal position.

At the conclusion of the brining and rinsing step of a regeneratingcycle, the arm 54 must be rotated in the direction to carry it off ofthe end of the abutment 87 before the spool can be moved axiallyforwardly to its next regenerating position, namely the backwashposition seen in broken lines in FIGURE 2. Such forward spring propelledmotion of the spool is again arrested by the engagement of the radialarm 54 with a third arcuate abutment 88 on the stop member, angularlyand axially intermediate the abutment 87 and the bottom of the notch 73in the stop member. Thus, one end of the abutment 88 terminates at thenotch 72 in the stop member. The engagement of the stern arm with theabutment 88, of course, defines the backwash position of the spool 16 atwhich fresh water flows through the softener tank in the reversedirection, namely from bottom to top, and then to drain.

The abutment 88 has an arcuate length which corresponds to the remainingportion of the cycle of rotation of the operating stem, and it holds thespool against return to its normal position until the arm 54 is rotatedtoward the notch 72 in the stop member and off of the end of theabutment that defines the narrow end of notch 72. Such rotation of thearm frees the spool for forward spring propelled motion to its normalposition completing the regenerating cycle. As shown in FIGURE 1, thearm 54 is thus returned to its normal position at the bottom of thenotch 72 in the stop member.

It will be seen, therefore, that the operating stem must be rotatedmanually in one direction, in order to enable it to be placed in each ofits operating positions, and that the spool will be held in each of saidoperating or regenerating positions the periods of time necessary toassure proper regeneration of the water softener. The constructiondescribed, therefore, makes it possible to operate the valve entirelymanually, or in a semi-automatic fashion by control instrumentalitiesincluding an electric motor 52 which, when energized in a mannerdisclosed in my aforesaid copending application Serial No. 722,093, isoperable to effect shifting of the valve spool to each of itsregenerating positions and finally return of the spool to its normalposition following manual actuation of the spool to its shut-off or addsalt position.

From the foregoing description taken together with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art thatthis invention provides an improved control valve for water softenersand the like having an improved arrangement of ports, and which featuresan axially slidable spool and means for defining and holding the spoolin each of its operating positions from which positions it may bereleased for axial motion to another position upon rotation of anoperating stem for the spool through an arc of predetermined magnitude.

What is claimed as my invention is:

In a water softening system including a softener tank containing an ionexchange medium and having top and bottom fiow ports therein, a cover atits top that can be removed to enable salt to be charged into the tankfor regeneration of the ion exchange medium in the tank, and a controlvalve to govern service and regenerating operation of the system,characterized by: a body for the valve having a source water inletconnectible with a supply of water to be softened, and an elongated borewith a series of five axially spaced ports opening substantiallyradially therein-to; the center port constituting a drain port which isin communication with a drain passage in the body from which waste waterissues during regeneration of the system; the two ports at axiallyopposite sides of the drain port constituting first and second tankports respectively connecting with the top and bottom flow ports of thetank through first and second tank passages in the body; one of the endports constituting a service port that leads to a service passage in thebody, from which softened water may flow to a point of use; and theother end port constituting a restricted alternate port' communicatingwith said first tank passage; passage means in the body having branchescommunicating the source water inlet with the bore at locations spacedaxially from each end of the series of valve ports; a spool shiftableaxially back and forth in the body bore and having a number of axiallyspaced circumferentially enlarged lands thereon which are cooperablewith the wall of the bore and said valve ports in different axialpositions of the spool to control the flow of fluid to and from thesoftener tank, said lands and ports being so arranged that serviceoperation of the system is produced in a normal position of the spool atwhich its lands cooperate to close off communication between the drainand tank ports and their respective passages, to communicate the sourcewater inlet with said first tank passage, and to communicate the secondtank passage with the service passage so that source water will bedirected downwardly through the softener tank and softened water issuingtherefrom will be discharged through the service port and its passagefor delivery to a point of use; that in a first operating position mostremote from its normal position the lands on the spool cooperate toclose off communication between both tank passages and the source waterinlet and to communicate said second tank passage with the drain passageto efiect venting of the softener tank and thereby enable its cover tobe removed and salt to be charged into the top of the tank forregeneration of the ion exchange medium in the tank; that in a secondoperating position less remote from normal the lands on the spoolcooperate to establish communication between the drain and second tankpassages and to communicate the first tank passage with the source waterinlet only through said alternate port so that source water is'caused toenter the top of the softener tank for restricted flow through the saltcharged into the softener tank to form a brine solution therewith thatis carried downwardly through the ion exchange material in the tank,while the brine efiluent discharging from the bottom of the tank is ledthrough the second tank passage to the drain passage for discharge to asewer or the like; and that in a third operating position intermediatenormal and said second operating position the lands on the spoolcooperate to communicate said second tank passage with the source waterinlet and to establish communication between said first tank port andthe drain passage so as to effect backwash flow of source water upwardlythrough the softener tank and delivery of the backwash efliuent issuingfrom the top of the tank to the drain passage in the valve body; meansfor moving the spool in a return direction from its first operatingposition to its normal operating position; and means connected with thebody and with the spool to arrest return movement of the spool at saidsecond and said third operating positions thereof, respectively.

Nickols Jan. 5, 1960 Rudelick et al. Jan. 12, 1960

